Western Visayas hailed as model for PH geographical indications

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By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines has hailed Western Visayas as a national model for geographical indications and their benefits to local communities.

IPOPHL, the country’s lead agency on intellectual property, led the opening of the SynerGI ASEAN GI Forum and Exhibition on Wednesday, May 13, a gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations member-states aimed at strengthening GI protection across the region.

A geographical indication is a form of intellectual property that links a specific product to a specific place, subjecting it to legal protections and helping preserve traditional knowledge and cultural heritage.

The forum is being held in partnership with the European Union Intellectual Property Office’s SCOPE IPR Project, which works to strengthen the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in ASEAN countries in line with European Union standards and international agreements.

GIs are recognized under Republic Act No. 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, but their formal recognition remains relatively new. IPOPHL only implemented its Rules and Regulations on Geographical Indications in 2022.

GIs in the Philippines cover agricultural products, foodstuffs, wines, spirits, textiles and clothing, handicrafts, and industrial products.

The country currently has four registered GIs: carabao mangoes of Guimaras, piña fiber of Aklan, asin tibuok of Alburquerque, Bohol, and T’nalak of the T’boli in South Cotabato.

Guimaras mangoes and T’nalak had earlier been protected under IPOPHL as collective marks.

IPOPHL Director General Teodoro Pascua said Western Visayas has shown a strong grasp of GIs, with two of the country’s four registered products coming from the region.

“When people hear Guimaras mangoes, they easily know what to expect — sweetness, quality, and pride. […] The same goes for many products across our region,” Pascua said during a press conference Wednesday.

“These are not ordinary products. They carry the story of our farmers, our traditions, our climate, and the way communities have done things for generations. That is really what [GIs] are all about — they help protect the identity, the reputation of products that are really a guide to a place,” he added.

Bureau of Trademarks Director Jesus Antonio Ros said GI registrations are already helping protect and sustain registered products through higher prices and broader stakeholder participation.

“One very apparent impact of GI protection is the increase in farmgate prices of Guimaras mangoes, [which] was even less than PHP 100. Nowadays, during its peak season, it reaches beyond PHP 300. It provides more financial income to the farmers, the producers of Guimaras mangoes,” Ros said.

“[Aklan Piña’s GI registration] encourages other producers in the value chain to participate. Some of the stakeholders […] have moved away from the traditional practice, but because of this highlight given to Aklan Piña, they are now returning to traditional practices,” he added.